Foul Language? Who Would Have Thought?

Charcuterie?

I was on the phone with my dad, as he recounted a dinner he had eaten the previous night. Izzy was listening in to my end of the conversation and when he heard me utter the word charcuterie he said, "Mama, don't say that word in front of me." (The very idea of a platter of sliced meats, how could you...)

Is charcuterie a bad word? Does it sound like one? Is there something I am missing? He spent the rest of the day pronouncing the word and giggling. I do have to wonder what runs through his little mind. Giant slabs of pate, chasing slices of prosciutto?

Brussels Birthday: Izzy's Papa Reports

Keep in mind that while Izzy and I are eating at home, Papa is often off in foreign locales, forgetting to eat or not eating well. His one night spent in Brussels happened to also be his birthday. I had hoped that he would have a decent meal. I booked him a hotel which turned out to be the quirky spot I imagined. When A. arrived there, he sent this message.

I wish I could work here rather than all the crappy places I get stuck with. I'm taking myself our to the corner cafe for some dinner. I ordered without even looking at the menu.

Frisee aux Lardons

Agneau a point avec pommes dauphinoise

The waitress brought the menu & I said, "Non merci. Je suis prêt." (No thanks, I am ready.)

I seriously have not eaten in days. No dinner last night, a not so good pain au chocolat for breakfast. No lunch at all. Now its 8:56 pm and I'm going to have whatever I want. I don't care if it isn't on the menu. I looked at the specials, but nothing I wanted there.

The waitress asked the cook to come take my order. When I requested agneau he made a little fist and said "au point!". Of course I said "Mais oui". "Et pour buvez,.. Bordeaux?". "Mais oui encore". "Trrèèsss bon".

Let's hope its good. Though I'm going to eat it even if it isn't.Bordeaux is Haute Médoc 2004, grand vin de B. I'm loving it.

Dinner: Totally Locally

I keep marveling about how my CSA deliveries, along with a few Greenmarket dairy items, allow me to prepare an almost 100% local meal (except for the olive oil).

Consider this menu from last week: Flat Zucchini Omelet (ignore that silly name, it is tender, light egg perfection), Yukon Gold Mashed potatoes and Mixed Greens sauteed with garlic.

This was another meal in a flash, especially with Izzy on potato mashing duty. He didn't always like to eat them (odd seemed I somehow assumed they all kids ate them) but once I got him involved in the mashing process, he became far more interested in eating them.

With Izzy mashing, I was able to grate the zucchini, wash the greens and do the other minor preparations. If you have any zucchini hanging about, this is one of the easiest things you can do with it and you won't be disappointed.

Flat Zucchini Omelet (based upon a Richard Olney recipe from Gourmet)

1 lb small zucchini1

3/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped herb of your choice (basil or chives work well, even parsley)

2 large eggs

1 large pinch black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation

Trim ends of zucchini, then coarsely grate on large holes of a box grater. Toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and let stand 30 minutes.

Transfer zucchini to a colander, then firmly squeeze handfuls to remove excess liquid.

Heat olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and saute zucchini, stirring until golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in herbs, then let mixture cool to warm, about 15 minutes.

Lightly beat eggs with zucchini, pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, using a fork.

Heat butter in a 7- to 8-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides and butter has a nutty fragrance.

Add egg mixture, distributing zucchini evenly with a heatproof rubber spatula, and cook, lifting up egg around edges occasionally to let any uncooked egg flow underneath, until egg mixture is set around edge, about 1 minute.Reduce heat to moderately low and cook omelet until softly set but top is still moist, about 3 minutes.

Shake skillet to loosen omelet from pan, then slide omelet onto a large plate.Wearing oven mitts, invert skillet over omelet, then holding skillet and plate together invert omelet, browned side up, into skillet. Cook omelet until underside is set, about 1 minute, then slide omelet onto a serving plate.

Not Your Ordinary Snack Week

Izzy has come home nearly each day this week, describing an unusual snack of some kind. I still am unsure as to what exactly they are.

Monday I heard tell of "Pancakes with holes in the middle.' Some friends confirmed the pancakes too but when I asked the teachers they seemed mystified and claimed ignorance on the pancake front. What were these pancake- like snacks anyway?

Tuesday I was regaled with visions of "Rainbow-colored Cakes" which I later heard were some type of homemade Chinese cake. Now I am intrigued.

Wednesday was the clincher. "Mama, I had chicken hot dogs for snack." Well now I had to take pause, step back and stop hyperventilating. Chicken hot dogs? Were they organic? Were they heated? The very thought of meat of any kind being left out on the snack table for two hours just doesn't seem entirely sanitary. Is that really a good idea to serve in a school with no kitchen? I think not. The question is .. Do I bring up another snack issue with the school?

Meanwhile, Izzy has me pondering on the subject of today's snack..He described it as, "Spicy cheerios." Pray tell, what are spicy Cheerios?

On the one hand I am thrilled that Izzy is being exposed to some snacks "outside the box" but on the other I worry about what is in
them.

Who knows what tomorrow's snack will bring? Stay-tuned.

To Market, To Market: To See Nina Planck?

This may even be more thrilling than spotting Martha at the hair salon. You see, I didn't interact with Martha, I merely glimpsed her from my salon sink, as my head was covered in some seemingly toxic goop, awaiting a shampoo. I don't even know if I would uttered a word to her had I been given the chance.

On the other hand, bumping into Nina Planck was an altogether different experience. I was on my regular Wednesday post-Pilates run to the Union Square Greenmarket. While engaging in my preliminary wander through the market, I saw that someone was being filmed. I stopped to watch for a moment and noted that the woman did look remarkably like Nina, and in fact, as she spoke about some interesting squash, I remarked that she sounded like her too. I didn't really have time to linger and watch her so I continued on my way, smiling at the thought of shopping at the market with Nina in the vicinity.

Later on, as I was discussing some pressing lamb issues with my favorite sheep-lady, Karen, of 3-Corner Field Farm, Nina walked over to have a word with her. As she stood next to me I blurted out, "You are Nina Planck, aren't you (I wasn't 100% certain so I didn't want to assume.") I then went on to explain that I had met her before at the Times Talk (I'm sure she has met many fans before and I was not notable but..) and then I said that I had emailed her and I had a blog. Zing! She said she had read of my Parisian travels with Izzy!! I couldn't have been more flattered.

We chatted briefly before she had to rush off to Julian, her almost year old son. She mentioned something about trying not to get too excited about watching all of the wonderful things he eats. Of course I say, she has every right to get excited, especially as I gather she is providing him with the absolute best in food, as far as local, organic and sustainable is concerned.

My only regret from my morning encounter is that I have no photo to share. Nina is on the forefront of changing the way Americans eat. She has been a great inspiration for me to seek out grass-fed, organic, local eats whenever possible. And I can't help but mention that she should be the poster woman for her healthy way of eating. She is slender, glowing and looked particularly fetching in her woolen shorts. If you haven't read her book, Real Food, you ought to. If nothing else,she will certainly lead you to think differently about the things you eat.

Keep Away From Blue Food

Except for blue potatoes and blueberries (and anything made with them like the beverage pictured above - blueberry milk).

Food coloring has been on my mind of late because of the recent news linking food dyes to hyperactivity in children. That these dyes are not healthy doesn't exactly surprise me but seeing the cold hard facts now has me on dye patrol, seeking to eradicate any trace from Izzy's diet.

We don't buy any foods that contain coloring but Izzy may have encountered the Rainbow Goldfish at school and today I heard tell of a mysterious rainbow colored cake he was served at snack time. He claimed that it was not homemade..Question is...what was it and why was it being served?

Meanwhile, in my efforts to rid Izzy's diet of any possible source of artificial food coloring, I realize that my cupcake icing methods will have to change. I just checked the fancy food colorings from one of my favorite baking stores and they are completely artificial. I am now on the hunt for organic, natural food colorings..I have some leads and need to order soon. Halloween is almost here and we may be in need of some cupcakes sooner, rather than later.

If you have any information leading to the purchase of these natural dyes, reveal your sources here!

n.b. I just found a source and a shipment is on its way...

Add Some Greens To Your Beans

Rice and beans are a staple of Izzy's diet. They are one of the easiest, healthiest dinners and one of the quickest to prepare. We probably have them about once a week, each time with a slight variation.

Tonight I had some leftover mustard greens which Izzy had deemed to bitter the other day (me too). I shredded them to add to my basic recipe and I also threw in some smoked paprika.

Rice and Beans (with greens - works well with all kinds)

1 large onion, chopped
1 frying pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper or more to taste, minced
1/4 tspn. smoked paprika

2 cans black beans
1 tomato, chopped
1-2 cups shredded greens

olive oil

1. Saute first three ingredients in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, until browned, stir in paprika and cook for 1 more minute.

2.Add last three ingredients. Stir and cover and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Serve over rice with shredded sharp cheddar, minced cilantro (if you have any) and sour cream. Soft tacos are also a nice touch.


Izzy liked it so much, greens included they he requested it for lunch tomorrow..How did he know that was what he would be getting?